WASHINGTON - Some 1,600 state immigration-related bills have been introduced in the absence of federal legislation, leaving businesses confused by conflicting mandates and still without a reliable work force, business leaders complained Friday.
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The requirements' costs in the 244 enacted laws could force some small businesses to shut down or pass along the costs to consumers, said Jerry Howard, CEO and executive vice president of the National Association of Home Builders.
State officials, business owners and immigration experts discussed how state immigration laws are affecting the economy and businesses at a forum sponsored by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, National Conference of State Legislatures, National Association of Home Builders and the National Roofing Contractors Association.
"We believe the states and localities should resist this short-term deal," said Tom Donohue, president and CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
A law in Arizona sanctions employers who hire illegal immigrant workers, but a law in Illinois prohibits employers from using a federal system known as E-Verify to determine whether employees can legally work in the U.S., several in attendance noted. Such conflicts are confounding for multistate companies, they said.
Mark Woodall with the Associated General Contractors in Georgia said local ordinances requiring immediate firing of employees who may be illegal immigrants have employers worried about violating federal laws.
State lawmakers believe they have to do something in the vacuum of federal laws.
"We are not necessarily saying any one state law is better than the next. We are saying there are so many, that are diverse and address so many issues, it's time for the federal government to have immigration reform that the states can then follow," said Michelle Blackston, spokeswoman for the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Business leaders also complained of losing workers, increasing wages and being held accountable for hiring of illegal immigrants by subcontractors. Several warned of coming economic repercussions.
Glenn Hamer, president and CEO for the Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry, said businesses are feeling threatened as broadly written laws are passed intending to root out employers who hire undocumented workers.
Such laws are spreading "like infectious diseases" state to state and locality to locality and "will do a great amount of destruction to the U.S. economy," Hamer said.
Greg Simmons, president of Simmons Homes, a Tulsa, Okla. homebuilder, said a law that took effect Nov. 1 in his state cost him 20 percent of his work force over two weekends before it went into effect.
Simmons said his state's housing market still is viable, but he's unable to do his usual three- to five-year advance business planning because his future labor pool is so uncertain. Lawmakers who drafted the law failed to consider his need to plan ahead, he said.
Instead the law was based on the cost of unpaid medical bills, crime rates and emotions about "those people," he said. Simmons said he expects Oklahoma will lose workers to states like Kansas and Texas that do not have similar laws.
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To all (and Larry), I get your point that we have tried to solve some problems in the past (with NAFTA and such). I just feel that these were half-hearted attempts that benefitted the US economy and not the kind of assistance I outlined in my earlier post. The most important thing that everyone needs to remember is that these "illegals" are mostly good people just trying to provide for their families. I am NOT speaking of those we are involved in the drug trade ... I just wish that Americans could put themselves in "illegal" shoes. What would you do if your country would do nothing for you? I suppose I would move too. On a sarcastic note: With American pull, we could even help them choose better leadership if that is the root of the problem. We did it in Cuba, Iraq, and countless other countries:) REALLY, I think that MORE economic assistance is essential!!!! I was just joking about installing new leadership... would that be a conservative move? :) AND to Patricia, I would love to move to San Franscico:)
for the record, im no liberal. I am nice person and lotta times thats why i can't get anything done. i agree it takes a hard line to fix problems, but i was only trying to logically find solutions.
There are so many of these people in the United States alone, let them go home & over throw the Government & form their own . Other countries do it so can they !!! Some of you people should actually consider getting a bandaid because your bleeding to death, move to san Francisco!!!
It seems like I went down a slippery slope there. What can we do? I would say the next presidential election is important. We should know where the candidates stand on immigration reform. Two, the businesses that are greatly affected by this change could be given a transition period to comply. Three, legal workers have to step in and fill that void, that means a new look at hiring procedures and practices. Four, ride out the economic changes until we make it through this
My unresolved thought is what happens to the illegals that are here. Ship them back? Have a documented worker program? Only work the ones who have clean legal record? Maybe we could issue them seasonal visas, then return them to the border when the work is done? Or let them bounce from state to state sorta like musical chairs only until there is no chair left?
We've let the problem go on for too long and thats what makes it more complicated. I blame the congress for this one.
I agree Margaret, we will do well as a nation to have good relations with Latin America, its our backyard. I think the world is strained, don't like the signs of everything goin on. To me, it looks like the best we can expect to achieve is sort of a managed crisis mode. Still we can't give up, and need for the right leaders to step up to the plate and navigate us through this mess.
We should pay more attention to helping countries in our own hemisphere improve their economies, instead of worrying about what goes on in the Middle East and Africa. Unfortunately, our pushy ways have given us a bad reputation.
The main issue to be dealt with when it comes to any kind of foreign aid program to Mexico, is the extreme levels of graft and corruption. Mexico has enough resources to fix itself, but refuses to do so, as the top 1 percent wants to grow richer. (Kinda like Bush and Co, when it comes to taxing big oil.)
JENNIFER: We have done that already (NAFTA), our corporations have moved factories from the U.S. to Mexico and other countries, yet the illegals still keep coming by the millions every year (the border patrol captures/returns a million people a year). Then there are the millions they DON'T catch). Unfortunately our President and the presidents of Canada and Mexico want to make it even worse than it is already.
Jennifer, I believe your thoughts are on the right track. The invasion of Iraq has cost our country billions and billions that allowed some chosen companies to get really really rich. We hold Mexico as an ally when their government encourages illegal immigration into this country and protests any attempts by the US to curtail it, or even punish it.
I pulled this text from the Presidents trip to Mexico to urge economic reforms...
it is still a land defined by high levels of poverty and income inequality, huge monopolies that reign over virtually all aspects of Mexican life, all-powerful closed shop labor unions that exercise absolute control over hiring and firing, and political parties that wield immense power through a system of patronage and corrupt practices. This corporatist system has survived, and in some cases thrived, through the transformation of Mexican political and economic life. Its stranglehold on Mexico has led to a highly lopsided economic playing field where a large number of Mexicans see more hope in traversing a 110 degree desert or crossing the U.S. border in the back of a tractor trailer than in finding a decent job in their home nation.
I really enjoy how everyone in the media and many of my peers characterize this bill as a 'Human Rights Bill"--to save illegal immigrants from working for low wages... I will only add that each and every one of us (except for some full-blood Indians) came from an immigrant family at some point and that our country was founded on the idea that it would welcome all. Perhaps we should focus on the root of the problem, the Mexican economy, and talk about ways to help them long-term. Maybe a few billion war dollars could be diverted south and help a struggling country. If that happened, many of the illegals would have no reason to cross the border... .
I think the business leaders are saying they would like some leadership from our national leaders. The failure of congress to address this issue makes it tougher for the 50 states to have uniform laws. Just passing HB 1804 is only the first step. The next step is all the possible repercussions, like shortages of labor, legal enforcement, etc.. It does seem Oklahoma is willing to take the lead in this issue, but remember that also requires solving all the problems associated with the decision. So for the time being the national companies are going to have to hire some very good legal staff to interpret all these various laws out there. Also, I'm not sure how much extra this will cost law enforcement. One last thing, I'm not against the bill, it is a national debate. I was just pointing out, that if Oklahoma is to succeed with taking the lead, they have to continue to address the fallout issues.
Illegals,come on up and become american slaves rather than mexican slaves.We need all the really cheap labor we can get to compete with the really cheap chinese slave labor.Racists????? Naaaa,just slavers trying to make a living the old fashion socialist way,make 'em all legal slaves with a driver's license and a welfare card. Lenin would be proud.
Again, no research done by so called "journalists". Kansas and Texas will be introducing bills in 2008 that mimic Oklahoma law. Slave owners should go bankrupt for their corrupt business practices. I don't remember any business class I took saying pin your hopes on slave labor to survive, that's just absurd. Once again, no data, no research, no facts, no figures, just fear the sky is falling and oh yes the tired cry of racism. You notice, how there's never any criticism focused on other nations. Not one advocate, no one from the Oklahoman, and nothing from other media. Just how it's the fault of citizens of how other nations don't take care of their people.
It's funny how the carpetbaggers(companies employing illegals)cry when their cheap labor source is threaten. Remember the problem wouldn't exist if it weren't for the carpetbaggers.
If the business cannot survive without illegal workers, the business deserves to go bankrupt. Quit your whining already, it's not making a difference and no one cares.
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Thank you for joining our conversations on NewsOK.com. We encourage your discussions but ask that you stay within the bounds of our terms and conditions. Please help us by reporting comments that violate these guidelines. To review our rules of engagement, go to Commenting and posting policy.
Leave a comment. Log in below or sign up (it's free).Editor's note: It is not our intent to offer comments on crime or fatality stories.
ps.. i don't like harry reid, pelosi, or hillara
My unresolved thought is what happens to the illegals that are here. Ship them back? Have a documented worker program? Only work the ones who have clean legal record? Maybe we could issue them seasonal visas, then return them to the border when the work is done? Or let them bounce from state to state sorta like musical chairs only until there is no chair left?
We've let the problem go on for too long and thats what makes it more complicated. I blame the congress for this one.
it is still a land defined by high levels of poverty and income inequality, huge monopolies that reign over virtually all aspects of Mexican life, all-powerful closed shop labor unions that exercise absolute control over hiring and firing, and political parties that wield immense power through a system of patronage and corrupt practices. This corporatist system has survived, and in some cases thrived, through the transformation of Mexican political and economic life. Its stranglehold on Mexico has led to a highly lopsided economic playing field where a large number of Mexicans see more hope in traversing a 110 degree desert or crossing the U.S. border in the back of a tractor trailer than in finding a decent job in their home nation.